Night Owls, Cubs and Bugs - Cleethorpes May Gala

Miniature Railways - Colin Peake's Photographs

11th May 2008

The May Day Bank Holiday weekend dawned bright, warm and sunny on the east coast, which was just as well s I had booked a caravan for the weeken to enjoy the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway's May gala!

Visiting locomotives were 'Owl' from the Kirklees Light Railway, making it's first visit away from home and 'The Bug' from the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch, making a return trip to Cleethorpes. With 'Battison', the resident steam outline loco also in use, there was a distinct 'Yellow engines' theme....

As this was the 60th anniversary of the first miniature railway along the boating lake at Cleethorpes, 60 hours of continuous steam operation took place from Saturday morning through to Monday evening. In honour of one of the guest locomotives, this was christened the 'Night Owl'. There were even some passengers on board as the Cleethorpes Beer Festival was in full swing at lakeside station!

I managed to come into contact with the railway every day of my stay, but not always with camera in hand. So here is a selection from Friday, Saturday and Monday. Of particular note to some, the CCLR's diesel 'The Cub' was started up on Saturday and Monday for the first time in several years following an extended overhaul.

Friday 2nd: Owl on a service train, passes The Bug on a test run to Kingsway. 640x480	Mountaineer sat this gala out, the boiler having only just come back from professional attention. 640x480	The Bug returns from Kingsway having sucessfully made it's way around the whole railway to check clearances. 640x480
The Bug is the centre of conversation outside the shed. 640x480	Owl heads to Kingsway with a service working - the CCLR had used this loco all week! 640x480	After services finished Owl ran up to North Sea Lane for the benefit of staff. 640x480
Owl prepares to head back to Lakeside from North Sea Lane. 640x480	Saturday 3rd: Effie awaits departure from Kingsway. Sadly she failed on Sunday with leaking tubes. 640x480	No. 24 heads into Lakeside station to collect coaching stock. 640x480
An interesting comparison in size between The Bug and No. 24. 640x480	A view of The Bug's footplate and controls. 640x480	The Bug at North Sea Lane on her first passenger trip to the terminus. 640x480
Another view of The Bug at North Sea Laane. 640x480	Tim eases The Bug onto the coaching stock. 640x480	The Bug ready for departure from North Sea Lane. 640x480
A little later The Bug departs from Kingsway. 640x480	Sutton Belle and Sutton Flyer head up a non-stop Kingsway-North Sea Lane working. 640x480	The Bug oatiently awaits a loco changeover at Lakeside Loop. 640x480
The Bug heads over the crossing towards North Sea Lane. 640x480	A little later No. 24 heads over the crossing. 640x480	A contrast in ages, styles, technology and colour at Lakeside. 640x480
A further comparison of Sutton Belle and Owl. 640x480	Owl arrives at Lakeside from Kingsway, having swapped stock ready for the night service. 640x480	The 'Night Owl' at North Sea Lane. 640x480
Monday 5th: The Bug and Battison exchange tokens at Meridian Loop. 640x480	Owl rests at Lakeside station. 640x480	The Cub outside the shed awaiting testing. 640x480
The bonnet panels are carefully reattached. 640x480	Looking like a loco again, The Cub poses outside the shed. 640x480	The short-bonnet end of The Cub. 640x480
The Bug has come on shed for the night whilst Owl keeps going! 640x480	The Bug and The Cub engaged in some shunting. 640x480	The Bug is cleaned up after a hard weekend's working. 640x480
No. 24 arrives at Lakeside from North Sea Lane as services start to wind-down. 640x480	My last run of the weekend was to North Sea Lane, where the tide was in! Is this really Cleethorpes? 640x480	A familiar view with a new aspect, sea... a great end to a great weekend. 640x480